A Balloon Ride to the Edge of Space

A sky-high balloon ride will soon be able to take you to the top of the atmosphere.

Starting next year, you can put the balloonists of old to shame by traveling via helium-filled balloon 100,000 feet up, to the top of the atmosphere (as seen in these renderings).

Simply hand over $75,000 to Tucson, Ariz.-based World View, and let the 4.5-ton 19-by-12-by-9-foot luxury passenger capsule whisk you away. The five- to six-hour flight includes light refreshments, a bar and an in-capsule lavatory for its eight passengers and crew.

Testing, which falls under the purview of the FAA Office of Commercial Space, is already underway and on schedule for commercial flights in 2016.